These Carbs May Be the Culprits

Crows Feet Writing Prompt #43

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

You are indeed fortunate if you have not yet heard a medical professional use an acronym like IBS, SIBO, or, my personal favorite, FODMAPS. If your digestive system has become rebellious and uncooperative, foods high in FODMAPS might be the problem, as they are for me.

I wrote about my sensitivity to dairy products, here and here. It is all part of the wonderful world of FODMAPS. As it turns out, there are many more foods out there that I don’t eat, not because I’m allergic, but because they are high in FODMAPS and my digestive system no longer likes them. Old friends like ice cream and honey are no longer welcome in my gut.

But what the heck are FODMAPS? Well if you haven’t heard of them yet, you probably will if you have any tummy issues. They are a pesky group of carbohydrates that can wreak havoc on one’s aging digestive system. The acronym stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which is why everyone uses the acronym FODMAPS instead.

A team at Monash University in Australia first identified these carbohydrates. They even have an app where you can look up foods for the FODMAP rating. I have it on my iPad and iPhone. Here’s Monash University’s definition of these foods:

FODMAPs are found in…